Fwd: End of the Ann Arbor Film Fest?

From: Jeff Kreines (email suppressed)
Date: Fri Apr 21 2006 - 20:56:39 PDT


Begin forwarded message:

>>
>> Subject: FW: Legislation Affecting MCACA funding
>> Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2006 20:23:27 -0400
>> Looks like the Film Festival is in big trouble and will lose state
>> funding for two years. L
>>
>> However this affects us all in the arts.
>>

>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: Legislation Affecting MCACA funding
>>
>> Please read the email below regarding a House Subcommittee for the
>> Department of
>> History, Arts and Libraries (HAL) meeting that took place on
>> Tuesday. If you did not know already, certain republican
>> legislators are interested in slashing arts funding and they have
>> made an example of the AA Film Fest (Sex Workers Art Show, Crispy
>> Glover's movie, etc.) to justify this.
>>
>> A recommendation was made at this meeting that
>> * The Department will not award funding to the Ann Arbor film
>> festival, or its successor, for a period of two fiscal years
>> beginning
>> October 1, 2006.
>>
>> Sadly, this is not surprising to the Film Fest Board or Staff.
>> However, please note these recommendations to "Arts Grants
>> Prohibitions":
>>
>> * The House Subcommittee added a new subdivision to also prohibit
>> funding for projects or activities that are not directly funded, but
>> are in conjunction with an event or exhibition that include displays
>> of human waste on religious symbols, displays of sex acts, or
>> depictions of flag desecration.
>> * Possible Penalties (NEW) - The House Subcommittee added a new
>> subsection that allows the department to withhold any remaining
>> undistributed grant payments for a recipient who doesn't comply with
>> the above prohibitions. The recipient also may be disqualified from
>> future grants for up to 5 years.
>>
>> Please consider how this language can be construed in regard to
>> our organization. Thank you ~Tara
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Date: Apr 19, 2006 1:03 PM
>> Subject: House Appropriations Subcommittee Makes FY 2006-2007
>> History,
>> Arts and Libraries Budget Recommendations
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ArtServe Michigan
>> GRAAND
>> GrassRoots Arts Advocacy Network Distribution
>> Editor: Drew Buchholz
>> 2006 Issue 8
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tuesday, April 18th, the House Subcommittee for the Department of
>> History, Arts and Libraries (HAL) made its FY 2006-2007 budget
>> recommendation to the full House Appropriations Committee.
>>
>>
>>
>> The Subcommittee's Recommendations
>>
>>
>>
>> Increase State funding for Arts and Cultural Grants by $265,900 GF/
>> GP.
>> This represents a $50,000 reduction from the Governors
>> recommendation
>> of an increase of $315,900.
>>
>>
>>
>> Prioritization of Arts Grants
>> * (Original) The department is to give priority to arts and cultural
>> projects that serve multiple counties or that leverage significant
>> additional public or private investment
>> * The House Subcommittee added "significant potential to increase
>> tourism or attract or retain businesses or residents"
>>
>>
>>
>> Arts Grants Prohibitions
>> * (Original) The department shall not award grants for projects or
>> activities that include displays of human waste on religious symbols,
>> displays of sex acts, or depictions of flag desecration.
>> * The House Subcommittee added a new subdivision to also prohibit
>> funding for projects or activities that are not directly funded, but
>> are in conjunction with an event or exhibition that include displays
>> of human waste on religious symbols, displays of sex acts, or
>> depictions of flag desecration.
>> * Possible Penalties (NEW) - The House Subcommittee added a new
>> subsection that allows the department to withhold any remaining
>> undistributed grant payments for a recipient who doesn't comply with
>> the above prohibitions. The recipient also may be disqualified from
>> future grants for up to 5 years.
>>
>>
>>
>> Representative Taub (R-Bloomfield Hills) Amendment
>>
>>
>> * The Department will not award funding to the Ann Arbor film
>> festival, or its successor, for a period of two fiscal years
>> beginning
>> October 1, 2006.
>>
>> YOUR CONTINUED ADVOCACY IS CRITICAL
>>
>> We appreciate the House Subcommittee for increasing funding for Arts
>> and Cultural by $265,900 over last year.
>>
>> Now is the time to contact the full House Appropriations Committee to
>> urge them to go above and beyond the subcommittee's recommendation
>> and
>> increase funding for Arts and Cultural grants to the Governors
>> recommendation of $315,900.
>>
>>
>>

__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.